Every day small habits that put you in the danger zone can easily be altered, read and listen to pearls of wisdom, writes Vinita Alvares Fernandes
ALARMING —
Did you know that millions of young adults, as early as your twenties, suffer from prediabetes?
Did you know that if you do nothing about your prediabetic condition, the risk of developing cardiovascular disease is about 10 to 11 per cent per year?
Did you know the first five years after diagnosis are so crucial, as your chance of developing cardiovascular disease is 50 per cent?
The problem is that almost 84 per cent of people do not know they are prediabetic and miss out on the window of the opportunity to slow down the progression of the disease and the complications that go with it.
ALERT—
Diabetes affects almost every system in the body — cardiovascular, kidneys, eyes, and brain. The longer you take to act, the harder it becomes to reverse its course.
Though family history and your genes are often the culprit, with age and a continuous lifestyle of rich food, poor exercise and sleep habits, you raise your risk significantly.
Everyday small habits that put you in the danger zone can easily be altered, read and listen to pearls of wisdom.
BREAKFAST– literally means breaking your fast.
How many of you skip the most important meal of the day?
I am not a huge fan of waking up and beginning to chomp on oats and eggs. There is no rule that you should eat oats and eggs for breakfast too, you can move away from the traditional stuff and eat what you enjoy just include high fiber, protein and fats.
A staggered breakfast works best.
Start with a bowl of fruit and green tea or coffee (associated with lowering risk by nine percent)
Then get ready for the day, so you give yourself some time to kick start your mood.
A Hearty Breakfast Is A Must Before You Exit The Door.
A very berry smoothie
Avocado toast
Chilli cheese toast
Savoury oats
French toast
Upma, Idli, poha
Skipping Breakfast Puts You At A Great Risk Of Getting Diabetes.
Eating breakfast like a king, keeps your BMI in check, and prevents you from over eating the rest of the day.
COUCH POTATOES BEWARE —
If you do a daily exercise routine, yes, that will keep your BMI steady, your weight in check and improve your insulin sensitivity, but the important thing to remember is that sitting (at the computer, driving around, on a couch or at a desk) for prolonged periods of time also puts you at risk of diabetes and this cannot be offset by your daily exercise routine. You need to have some physical activity every half hour, so set an alarm and do some form of light activity —stretching, walk around the room, get your blood circulating. Basically interrupt your sitting, it helps insulin sensitivity and improves metabolism.
This is true for prediabetics and normal people.
REGULAR SLEEP DEPRIVATION —
With ongoing sleep loss, your hormone levels can get thrown out of balance releasing more stress hormones, such as cortisol leading to a rise in blood sugar levels. Night after night of chronic sleep deprivation raises your risk of diabetes. That’s not all — research shows that poor sleep; both quantity and quality also increases your appetite and reduces your level of satiety, causing you to crave carbs and sweets in particular. It affects insulin and blood sugar levels that can lead to weight gain too.
SMOKING —
Smoking is a culprit to at least 25 million cases of diabetes worldwide. Smokers are at a 30 to 40 per cent risk of developing diabetes. The best thing you can do for your health is quit smoking. Today, there are plenty of options to aid you kick the habit. Smoking cessation meds like Chantix and Zyban and nicotine replacement therapy such as patches, lozenges, nasal spray and gum. Something to strongly consider — Quit the Butt.
PROCESSED FOODS —
Highly processed foods — cereals, deli meats and microwaveable dinners have long been linked to an increased risk for things like cancer, depression and cardiovascular disease, diabetes is now added to the list. More highly processed foods tend to correlate with higher calorie intake, too many calories lead to excess weight, and excess weight leads to increased risk of insulin resistance —No thinking needed, eat fresh food.
DRINKING MORE THAN A GLASS OF WINE OR TWO SMALL PEGS DAILY —
Nothing wrong with having a glass, maybe two of wine daily. Research suggests doing so may even help prevent diabetes. But go beyond the one-to-two drink mark and things suddenly change. Within limits, alcohol is linked with a number of health benefits including reduced inflammation, decreased clots and decreased insulin resistance, which is linked to Type 2 diabetes. It’s easy for the plan to have ‘one drink a day for my health’ to turn into two drinks — plus cheese and crackers and chips and dip. Before you know it, the possible health benefits have been wiped away with the additional calories.
Enjoy with staying the course.
OVERWEIGHT —
Overweight people have a Body Mass Index (BMI) range of 25-30, the BMI of obese people is of 30 or more. Almost nine in 10 adults diagnosed with diabetes are overweight or obese leading to screening for prediabetics from age 40 to 35. So if you are apple-shaped — fat around your waistline, remember it releases hormones and other biological substances that target and damage the organs and blood vessels that finally cause diabetes and other chronic diseases. Don’t let those pounds creep up on you.
FORTY-PLUS —
As we get older, there are declines in the function and number of cells secreting insulin. Without the right amount of insulin, the glucose that normally powers cells gets stuck in the bloodstream, with potentially serious health effects. Early detection is essential for successful treatment. Keep testing yourself — bi-yearly.
FIRST DEGREE RELATIVE WITH DIABETES —
Having a first degree relative such as a parent or sibling with diabetes doubles, maybe even triples, your own risk of developing the disease. But having what’s considered a “family history” of diabetes is about more than just shared genes. Although you can’t do anything about your genetic makeup, you can alter your lifestyle. Since genes interact with the environment to promote, or prevent, disease, with regular exercise and a healthy diet you can ward off diabetes.
Your genes don’t have to define your destiny.
GESTATIONAL DIABETES —
Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Doctors warn “Even if a woman’s blood sugar levels go down after giving birth, she’s still at higher risk for Type 2 diabetes later in life. (For that matter, so is her baby.)” Studies show; About fifty percent of women with Gestational Diabetes go on to develop Type 2 diabetes. I am a victim of this occurrence.
From skipping breakfast to skimping on sleep, here’s what really matters day-to-day —
Insulin is critical to healthy aging. It’s the hormone that moves sugar from your bloodstream into your muscle, fat and liver cells. If your blood sugar is consistently high your muscle, fat and liver stop responding causing Insulin Resistance. Maintaining your weight and a high fiber diet is crucial to keep your insulin responsive.
First signs — increased thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, blurred vision.
Be aware of the major risk factors for prediabetes and diabetes.
